From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Gearbox, propeller shaft, and brake issues on various vehicle models.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 135\2\ scan0211 | |
Date | 14th August 1940 | |
-6- The trouble experienced on 1-R-1 of difficulty in engaging gears, was found to be due to engine mis-alignment, and not gearbox trouble at all. On 8-B-V car, the gearbox failed altogether, whilst being used in London. A new gearbox was sent from Belper to Hythe Road, Willesden, and fitted by the Service Depot, and the old box has been returned to us and awaits inspection by Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer} PROPELLOR SHAFTS. Prop: shafts are again the cause of much trouble on our cars. Transmission periods have been caused by out of balance shafts and the angular position of the rear half prop: shafts. This latter phenomenon is very temperamental as no two cars answer to the same angular setting. Another prop: shaft period which develops after some thousand of miles, is thought to be due to the rollers cross binding. This is being investigated by Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer} The prop: shaft problem requires serious attention. As an example, four prop: shafts taken from stock Ex Slack Lane, were tried on B.22.AW. before we found one in balance. 9-B-V was fitted with a prop: shaft completely free from any periods. what-so-ever, but these developed after 5,000 miles running. BRAKES. Brakes on B.V. cars are not giving us much trouble other than the Servo. This again is a temperamental piece of mechanism. All our cars have, at some time or another, developed Servo groans and Servo judders. In some cases it is due to water getting into the Servo, in others oil, and on 8-B-V car, a bent shaft. Whilst not wishing to critisize this new type of Servo too severely, it must be placed on record that it has given us infinitely more trouble than the previous type, and we are not too happy about it. One other point, is that on 10-B-V, 9-B-V and already twice on B.22.AW. we have had to attend to brake squeaks from the mechanism inside the drum. This comes from the locating distance piece between the shoe and the carrier plate. It is a difficult point to lubricate, but the matter should be looked into by Design. With regard to B.80 brakes, it seems fairly well established that we must go ahead with wider brake shoes, and wider drums. Regarding the recent complaint of Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}'s, that the front brakes completely disappear, and the car dived violently to the right when the brakes were applied, this was found to be due to the wheel cylinder press caps on the near side having worked loose, and getting between the lining and the drum, apparently poor fitting in the first place. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Rigby, has been and is still carrying out, exhaustive tests on brakes over-heating on B.80 cars, and is looking into | ||